West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-03-18
HOMES OF THE HAREM.
The Court Physician and the Dangers
of His Position.
The Authentic Story of a Troublesome
Window.

Written for the Courier JOurna by ;
$. w. Benjamin, late L. 5. Mini ster tC
Persia.
The seclusion which the Shaw re-
quires of his wives is shown by the
quarters they occupy at the Ark oi
city palace. This is vast inclosure
entered by a separate gate. In the
center of the court is an elegant
garden. The ladies have each theil
own apartments in regular order in
the quadrangular building, which
in its general plan, is not unlike bar
racks, although more ornate and at
tractive. No windows open on the
street, but every apartment faces the
court. Ventilation is gained not
only by the open windows reaching
to the floor, which. in that delight
ful climate, are open the greater part
of the year, but also through shafts
leading from the roof and connected
with wind-towers called badgers.
These towers form an important fea-
ture of Persian dwellings and are
often very gracefully shaped. They
have apertures opening to the four
winds of heaven. Not only are the
wives of the Shah forbidden to gaze
into the street. but neither must any
other ladies' of Teheran enjoy that
cherished privilege. The fiat roofs
are surrounded with high walls, and
thus while one may enjoy delightful
pOmenade toward eveningon the roof
ofthe house and contemplate the vast
and lovely landscape, one can see no
one nor be seen.
These restrictions are much more
rigorous in the case Of ladies of rank
than of the lower classes. The latter
enjoy much greater freedom, and.
while obliged to keep the face well
concealed when abroad, are allowed
much liberty, a liberty that there is
no question results in adding to the
corruption Of morals If a Persian
wife cannot have the society of her
husband she is likely to seek the
society of other husbands. In
tr,gues are arranged by third par
ties, generally professionals, usually
old women. The woman being able
to see the man while he can not see
her face until she makes the first
advances, such intrigues usually
commence by the woman first TAX
ing fancy to the man. 1t is COM
paratively easy for the lovers to
meet after all is arranged, owing to
the disguise worn by the women,
which makes it exceedingly difficult
to distinguish one woman from an
other, and somewhat hazardous even
for a jealous husband to attempt to
penetrate that disguise.
But when lady of rank proposes
to 90 abroad everything is carefully
arranged, and if she is to visit an
other lady then the time of coming
is carefully announced and every
man on the premises is expected to
take himself out Of the way. For
example, when the wife of the Turk
ish ambassador desired to visit the
ladies Of the United States Legation,
all the maie servants were required
to keep out of sight during her visit,
and even the master of the house
was bound on his honor not to ap-
pear until she had left the premises.
/ have thought sometimes that the
Persian women must take secret
satisfaction in thus disturbing the
peace and liberty of the sterner sex
which has laid down such strict
laws for them.
The wives of the Shah are 1t,
however, without entertainment at
home in spite of their apparent i'm
prisOnment. Many of them enjoy
embrOidering and are capable of ex-
quisite skill in the arts of needle
work; occasionally lady is found
in the ROYAL Anderson who is in
Iclined to intellectual pursuits and
interests herself in the study of Ian
Iguages, in composing poetry, paint
ing or practicing on the piano. Pi-
amos, by the way, although carried
over the mountains with extreme diff
ficulty, are becoming quite common
lin Teheran. flour Government had
been more alert in protecting our in
terest in Persia and advancing our
Icommerce there, doubtless American
|Dianos would have found their way
TO that distant land before this. Not
hnfrequently these ladies give enter
tsinments, to which the most OF the
high dignitaries are invited, and one
tnay Judge from hearsay that these
occasions possess many features OF
romantic character. The after
noon is always the time selected.
The sod under the pavilions or
the trees is spread with carpets en-
broidered by hand; the air is cooled
by the spray of fountains tossing
silver streams in every quarter OF
the shaded terraces. Amid these
scenes hundreds of ladies move
slightly clad, the costume resemb-
king that of ballet dancer without
the tights and stockings. On such
occasions white cymar of embroid-